SÜDPACK has officially begun work on a major expansion at its logistics centre in Erolzheim, Germany, as part of a strategic move to scale up production of its sustainable pharmaceutical packaging solutions.

A symbolic groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 25, marking a significant milestone not only for the film manufacturer but also for the region as a whole.

The project includes new production facilities for PharmaGuard – SÜDPACK Medica’s award-winning PP mono-material blister concept for solid pharmaceutical applications – along with a unit for the regranulation of production-related plastic waste.

PharmaGuard, introduced as a sustainable alternative to conventional, non-recyclable blister packaging, has seen strong market demand since its launch. With rising demand, the company says the current production capacity at its main site in Ochsenhausen will no longer be sufficient in the long term, prompting the expansion.   

In the first phase of expansion, an existing hall will be converted to house an ISO 7-certified cleanroom for GMP-compliant production, equipped with a new extrusion line and a slitting machine. A completely new building extension is also planned to house the technical infrastructure, including a regranulation unit for processing production waste.

Construction is expected to be completed by June 2026, with installation of the production equipment to follow in the months thereafter. Commissioning and start-up are scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.

Erolzheim Mayor Jochen Ackermann welcomed the investment, noting that Südpack continues to demonstrate “strong commitment to Germany as a business location – even under challenging economic conditions.”

The expansion will create around 50 new jobs initially, with a further 120 positions anticipated by 2030 as additional phases progress.

Johannes Remmele and Carolin Grimbacher, second-generation leaders of the family-owned company, highlighted that PharmaGuard already meets future sustainability requirements of the global pharmaceutical industry, as well as those outlined in the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

“As a recyclable mono-material, it offers a significantly reduced climate impact (in CO2 equivalents) compared to laminates made from aluminium and PET. With innovations like this, we’re not only securing our future – we’re actively driving the green transformation and the circular economy within the plastics and packaging industry,” they added.

Südpack, headquartered in Ochsenhausen, operates multiple production sites across Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States.